잠언 8:22의 Halakhah

Laws of Judges - (Pirkei Avot 1:18) “Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says: On three things is the world established - on judgement, on truth, and on peace.” Rabbeinu Yonah z”l explains: The explanation cannot be that “because of these three things the world was created,” because the beginning of the chapter said that on three things does the world stand, and these three are not listed there. Rather, first [Pirkei Avot] relates that for three things the world was created, i.e. Torah, Avodah and Gemilut Chasadim. Torah, that it says, (Proverbs 8:22) “God made me as the first of His way...” The Torah says, “I was created before all of the creations and for my sake were all creations created.” Similarly, [the world was created] because of “Avodah” because God chose Israel from all of the nations, and chose the Beit Hamikdash from all of the places, that they should serve Him in it, and for its sake to God create the world. And similarly Gemilut Chasadim, which is the middah of chesed that causes one to be approved before God. Here [Pirkei Avot] states, “...the world is established.” This means that after the world was created it is preserved through these things - that through judges that judge between people does the world continue. Because were it not for law the more powerful would conquer. And similarly truth, like it says in Shabbat 104a, that lies have no legs [to stand on] but truth is the foundation and it is a big pillar for all things. And similarly, peace, as they say in Avot (Pirkei Avot 3:2), “One should pray for the peace of the government, for were it not for the fear of government, people would swallow each other alive.”

What brought this commentator to this difficulty was because many treated the verse “In the beginning God created (bara)” (ibid. 1:1) as if it was written “At the beginning of God’s creating (bero) the heavens and the earth, the earth was empty (tohu) and void (vohu)” – it did not exist, meaning there was no earth. Similarly, “darkness” is the absence of light, meaning there was none.¹⁰ According to this interpretation nothing existed prior to the creation of light. So the first created condition was light, followed by darkness at night. Thus a 24-hour day consists of light followed by darkness – day followed by night. But this interpretation is completely incorrect. Because why did he need to mention the heavens since it did not state that they were nonexistent like the earth? Also, from a grammatical point of view, why is there an added vav (“and”) to the word “veha’arez”? This is not the same as the extra vav found in verbs, as in “On the third day Abraham lifted (vayisa) his eyes” (ibid. 22:4), “he abandoned (vaya’azov) his servants” (Exodus 9:21). They are like the weak fe in Arabic, for Arabic forms are similar to those of the Holy Tongue (Hebrew). However, no vav is added to nouns. Also, according to this interpretation the wind and the water were not created,¹¹ No mention is made of the creation of air and water, even though they are referred to in verse 2. yet it is written in the book of Psalms with regard to both of these “for He commanded and they came to be” (148:5).¹² The verses in Psalms are: “Praise Him, heavens of heavens (the sphere of fire), and waters that are above the heavens. They should praise the name of God, for he commanded and they were created” (148:4–5). Even darkness was created, as it is written “who forms light and creates darkness” (Isaiah 45:7).